Chesapeake Shores -- Megan at the Met -- Mick and Megan O'Brien
by Annette Zoaps
Summary: Hallmark Channel's "Chesapeake Shores" is full of interesting characters created by novelist Sherryl Woods – especially Mick O'Brien and his ex-wife, Megan, who reluctantly left him and their children years before. In my alternate universe, Megan stays in New York, where she and Mick strike up a friendship. But could something more develop between them?
1. Chapter 1

.

 **The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores'**

 **"** **Megan at the Met"**

Mick and Megan O'Brien

By Annette Zoaps

.

 **Chapter 1**

"Andre, I need you to come and take my picture next to a painting in the Undiscovered Artists' room before our guests arrive."

Megan beckons the official event photographer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Yes, ma'am, Ms. O'Brien."

She poses with her own painting, a serene watercolor seascape.

"How about a profile, Ms. O'Brien?"

Megan turns, effecting a pensive expression befitting a serious artist.

"Excuse me, lady, but I think you hung that painting upside-down," a familiar voice pipes up from behind the two.

"Mick, you …!" Megan laughs. "You act like you're an such an art-illiterate."

She places one arm around his neck and gives him a loose, A-frame hug, while he squeezes her shoulder gently.

"Who says it's an act," he counters with a chuckle. Pointing to Megan's painting, he says, "Hey, I like it. I even recognize the place. Good job!"

They face the painting side by side and take in the details, to the sound of clicks from the photographer's camera.

"Ms. O'Brien?" Andre interrupts.

"Oh, Andre. Sorry, this is my — my dear friend, Mick O'Brien."

She glances at Mick, who gives her a confused look in return.

"Nice to meet you, sir. O'Brien? Are you related?"

"Yes," she confirms quickly. "We're also family."

Mick offers his hand, which Andre shakes before walking into the main gallery.

"You don't want people to know you were married to the likes of me?" Mick looks a little crushed.

"It's not that," she says. "It's the _words_ — ex-wife, ex-husband. They sound so negative. Dripping with drama." She pauses. "Filled with sadness, and loss."

He nods slowly.

"But we're beyond that now, aren't we?" she says brightly. "We seem to be in a good place these days."

"That we are, my _friend_." He puts an emphasis on the last word and smiles to remove the sting. "It's good we can be friends after our history."

"I'm sure your mother would say it's a miracle, bless her heart. How's she doing, Mick?"

He puts his hands in his pockets. "Your greatest champion sends her love. Oh, she also sends you this." He retrieves a silver Irish fairy charm from his pocket and hands it to her.

"She's a dear! Please tell her how much I love her and miss her. So, what brings you here, Mick? The Met — it's not your usual stomping grounds."

He pulls a pamphlet from his coat pocket. "I'm in town on business, and what did I find in my hotel room but a brochure with your picture on it! You couldn't keep me away." He grins. "Even if you tried."

He hands it to her.

"I'm surprised you recognized me with all the Photoshop work they did."

She holds the thumbnail photograph to her face and strikes a similar pose.

"Perfection. Always." He looks at her, not the photo.

She smiles shyly and returns the brochure.

"Are you just stopping by, or can you stay for the gala?"

"Am I invited?"

"Yes. Please stay. It'll be fun to have a — friend — with me tonight. It'll feel less like work and more like a party."

"Then let's get this party started! And I'll try not to embarrass the queen of the Met." He winks.

. . .

Megan introduces Mick to the artists, coworkers and guests they encounter, always with the "dear friend" moniker. For his part, Mick toys with different accents with each person he meets, despite subtle jabs from her elbow.

"Apparently I need to fill your mouth so you can't talk," she scolds with a smile. "Have some shrimp."

She hands him a heaping plate, and only then does he spy a familiar glint on her ring finger.

"Megan, your wedding ring?" He takes her hand for a closer look. "Yes, it's the one I gave you." He looks at her curiously, setting his plate on a nearby side table.

"It's my suit of armor. I hope you don't mind that I wear it. It's a layer of safety for a woman living alone in New York City. Even though we're divorced, it serves a useful purpose. In fact, having you by my side tonight gives me another measure of security."

He squeezes her hand tighter, understanding what she means.

"I'm sorry you feel you need it, but I'm glad if it can help." He pauses. "Megan, let me take you home after the event. Please?"

She nods.

Still examining the ring, he suddenly laughs. "The jeweler who inscribed it, remember him?"

"Oh, yes!" She slips it off so they can both read the script inside. "Instead of 'M&M,' he inscribed 'M dollar-sign M!' You were mortified!" She sighs. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Mick gazes at it tenderly and after a few seconds, he slips it back on her finger, holding her hand a moment longer than necessary.

Recovering his composure, he quickly finds his plate, and she scans the room to make sure that the guests and artists are happily mingling.

.

 **See Chapter Two**

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _NEW! Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The Whiskers of Machu Picchu, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Come Let Me Love You_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying, 3 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters_

 _Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters_

 _._

 _I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading and making positive comments about my stories!_

 _I appreciate it more than you know!_

 _Annette Zoaps_

.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I see you're still in the same place," he says as they enter Megan's apartment. "Very nice."

"It's a mess. I didn't know I'd be having company!" She picks up a few things from the coffee table and places a coffee cup in the sink. "Have a seat."

"I won't stay long. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely."

"Thank you."

"Now that I realize what you have to go through, I don't know if I feel comfortable about you living all alone in New York."

She rises to her full five-foot, five-inch height, ready to assert her independence. He continues before she can set him straight.

"But it's your life, and I'm glad you're doing well. Everyone misses you at home, of course."

"I miss you all, too. Thanks for letting me visit when I can."

"So, art's not really my thing," he says, changing the subject.

"No!" she teases.

"But you put on a magnificent exhibit tonight, even if I don't understand half the pieces I saw. Congratulations! You did well."

She sits next to him on the couch and slips off her high heels.

"Thank you! Your praise means a lot." She looks at him intently. "I called you my 'dear friend' earlier …"

"All evening. To everyone we met." He gives her a wry smile.

"When it comes down to it, you may be the best friend I have."

He scratches his head. "Since I have no friends besides Mom, I guess you're my best friend, too. Hmm, who'd have guessed!"

. . .

Mick is awakened by a Facetime call coming in on his phone. A little disoriented, he squints at the display through sleepy eyes and answers it with a whisper.

"Hold on, Kevin."

He is surprised to discover Megan asleep with her head on his chest, so he carefully slips his arm and shoulder out from under her.

"Dad?"

"Just a minute." Mick strides to the guest bedroom and shuts the door. "Everything okay, son?"

"You tell me! When were you and Mom planning to let us know that you're getting married again?"

"What? Where'd you get an idea like that?"

Kevin reverses the camera and aims it at his laptop computer screen.

"This makes it pretty clear, don't you think?"

Photographs of the previous night's event are online, and Kevin focuses his phone on a series of four images of Mick putting a ring on Megan's finger.

"No. No. That's not what happened," Mick begins.

"And this photo." Kevin scrolls to the top of the slide show. "You and Mom recreated a scene from your wedding?"

Mick and Megan are shown standing side by side at the gallery, looking at Megan's painting. Kevin then points his camera at an old photo album, where a similar photo of a young couple gazing out to sea is among the images.

"Complete coincidence. But I can see how …" Mick tries to explain.

"And what about just now when I saw you waking up with Mom in your arms?"

"We were talking on the couch and must have fallen asleep! That's it!"

Kevin laughs. "Seriously? That sounds like one of Connor's lame excuses."

"Mick, are you talking to someone?" Megan peeks around the spare room door, yawning.

"Kevin has a question for us." He points to the living room and follows her back to the couch.

"Congratulations, Mom. Dad."

"Why …?"

"Show her what you showed me." Mick wipes sweat off his brow.

Kevin displays the photos with the wedding ring.

"Oh, my!" Her hand flies to her mouth. "I'm calling Andre to get those off the website. But Kevin, my photo gallery page is private and password-protected. How'd you get in?"

"I saw an alert this morning about an update. I clicked on it, and there it was. I think you used my computer last time you were in town and forgot to log out."

"Yes, yes, that's it," she sighs.

"And this one." His phone hovers in front of the seascape photos of the couple – the new one and the old.

"Oh! Why would Andre take that?"

"It's an amazing shot. If I were a photographer, I wouldn't have hesitated. And finally, how about the two of you falling asleep in each other's arms?"

"We didn't," she asserts. "Did we?" She looks at Mick.

"It seems we did. _On the couch_!" he repeats.

"The last thing I remember is that we were talking. But never mind. Right now, I have to call Andre." She grabs her cell phone.

"Kevin, if you don't believe me, will you believe your mother? We're not engaged."

"Really, we're not!" she says, frantically scrolling through her phone contacts.

"Never mind evidence to the contrary?" Kevin asks.

The men stop talking and listen to Megan's conversation with the photographer.

"Yes, Andre, just the ones with the ring." She lowers her voice. "But don't delete them. Send them to my email. High-res. Thanks."

Megan hangs up and blushes, as she sees Kevin openly smirking and Mick trying to hide a little smile.

.

See Chapter Three

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _NEW Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters_

 _Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters_

 _Thank you for reading, and please consider writing a review of this story!_

 _Annette Zoaps_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Two months later_

"Thanks for meeting me, Thomas." Mick takes a seat opposite his brother in a modest downtown New York office complex.

"It's a formality, Mick. Nothing has changed. I agreed to see you because Mom asked. You shouldn't have come all this way for nothing."

"I was coming to the city anyway," Mick says, without explanation.

"Don't make your trip a total waste. Since you're here, how would you like to go to a gallery opening? The Met is curating an Egyptian exhibit, and I was planning to stop by and surprise Megan. I'm sure she won't mind if you come."

Thomas wears an expression of one-upmanship.

"You're going, too? Then I'll see you there!" Mick smiles.

Thomas visibly deflates. "You know about it?"

Mick drops his smile as soon as he sees his brother's change in demeanor.

"I've been making it to most of her openings the past couple of months. Meg mentioned she saw you recently and that you were well."

Thomas nods.

"If you're staying in town, Mick, maybe I could meet you for breakfast at your hotel tomorrow." His eyes narrow. "Perhaps we do have something to discuss."

Mick lowers his head, knowing his next words are sure to cut deep.

"Actually, I stay at Megan's, and we get up late on the days after her galas."

"Just like that, you're back together," Thomas growls.

"No, it's not like that," Mick says softly. "We're friends now. Close friends. Very close – but that's it. She has a guest room, you know."

Mick throws out the last line to soften the blow, but it sounds like an afterthought, even to his own ears.

"You know what? I think I'm busy tonight. And tomorrow," Thomas says. "Give Megan my regards."

That evening

"Did Thomas mention he RSVP'd to the event tonight?" Megan asks, as she scrolls through the guest list on her tablet computer before the doors open to the public.

"He did, but then he said his plans had changed. He sends his regrets."

Megan hears his tone and looks up.

"Oh, no. What happened?"

"He thinks you and I are back together. I tried to set him straight, but because I have an open invitation to bunk at your place when I'm in town, it led him down the wrong trail. I didn't volunteer the information, I swear. He wanted to meet me at my hotel, but, well, my 'hotel' is your apartment. I'm sorry if it makes things awkward between you two. I really am."

"Mick, _I'm_ sorry." She sets down the tablet and places her hands on his shoulders. "If things are strained between the two of you, or between him and me, it's because I'm a willing participant in our, um, unconventional friendship. Your being here is a huge benefit to me." She runs her fingers lightly down his arms and takes his hands. "You help me feel safe, protected – and, yes, a lot less lonely. But now that you mention it, what does our arrangement do for you?"

"Your safety is every bit as important to me as it is to you," he says with sincerity. "But, did you ever stop to think that letting me hang out with you here – and at your home – might put a damper on other relationships?"

"That's the whole point." She flashes her wedding ring as a reminder and takes his hand again.

"But what about Thomas?" Mick looks down. "He always had a thing for you. What if there is something you could build on – with him?"

Megan blinks in surprise.

"Mick, there are reasons why I chose _you_ over Thomas years ago. Nothing has changed that suddenly makes him more appealing to me."

Her phone chirps an alert.

"It's time to open the doors. Are we okay for now?" She lets loose of his hands with a final squeeze. "Maybe we can talk about this later."

"I'm good. For now." He smiles.

"Okay. Pockets ready?"

"Your humble handbag, at your service!"

He holds his right coat pocket open, and she slips her cell phone and lipstick into it.

"Thank you! I hate carrying a purse at these things, especially when I have to keep the tablet close by."

.

See Chapter Four

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _NEW Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters_

 _Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters_

 _Thank you for reading, and please consider writing a review of this story!_

 _Annette Zoaps_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With the opening gala over and Mick and Megan finally back at her apartment, they quietly go to separate bedrooms and change out of their evening clothes. Their mood is subdued.

Megan exits her room wearing a comfortable knit top and slacks, and joins Mick, already on the couch dressed in a heather-grey T-shirt and sweats.

"Time to let my hair down – literally," she says, turning her back to him and placing a small plastic container with a hinged lid between them.

She begins removing bobby pins from her hair, starting at the crown of her head, while he carefully pulls out others at her neckline, moving up.

It's a familiar routine that they accomplish quickly. When they're done, and the pins are in the plastic box, he slowly works his fingers through her hair to free its natural waves.

She picks up a hairbrush and smoothes the tendrils that frame her face, then turns around and takes a few swipes at his hair.

"It's a lost cause, Megan," Mick laughs. "You can't tame _this_."

"You're right, but I keep trying. It's like you have a lion's mane, all wild and unpredictable." She bites her lip and quickly snaps the bobby pin container closed.

"A lion?" He smiles. "Uh, meow?"

She bursts out laughing.

"You're in a good mood, and I hate to spoil it," he ventures. "But Thomas is still weighing on my mind. Can we talk?"

"If we must." She sighs.

"I know he liked you when we were kids."

"He did."

"But today, I got the feeling he still does. And that the things I said about you – about us, even as innocent as things are between us – somehow hurt his feelings. You said there isn't anything between you, so why do I feel like I stole you away from him – again?"

"I wish I knew. He's a sensitive soul, and I know he once cared for me – many years ago. But we haven't seen each other or spoken in months, since he came to the gallery. When we were young, I sometimes felt that he built me up in his imagination and dreamed scenarios for our future. But it was all in his mind. You remember that he and I never went out. And if I spent time with him, you were always there, too. So there was nothing from the start, and nothing to build on."

"All I know is that it made me sad to see the look on his face this morning."

Megan thinks for a moment and picks up her iPad off the side table.

"Maybe there's a clue here," she says, logging into her photo gallery on the Met site. "Here's the night Thomas stopped by. How does he seem to you?"

Megan is the focus of the pictures, as usual. But Thomas is at her side in a number of them.

"He's not smiling." Mick notices.

"No," she agrees. "In fact, he's got his eyes closed in some of them, like he's not really there. Like he isn't in the _present._ I remember when we made small talk later, I got the feeling he wasn't listening to me, and that he might have been rewriting my words as soon as I spoke them. I felt uncomfortable, as though my answers didn't meet his expectations."

Mick nods.

"Compare this to the first time _you_ came to the Met." She opens a new photo page. "Look, you're absolutely in the moment. We're laughing, having fun, comfortable together."

He leans closer to the screen, so she clicks on a photo to enlarge it and launch the slide show, swiping from one image to the next.

"I can tell what you're thinking in some of these." She laughs. "I knew we'd be able to talk about the exhibit afterward. Whether you liked the artist or not, I knew you were observing everything, and that I didn't have to beg for your attention or prove anything to you."

"I wouldn't waste my time going somewhere I didn't want to go, or spending time with someone I didn't like," he says softly. "And Megan, I promise you, you will never have to beg for my attention. Never again."

She feels a welcome thrill at his words and continues scrolling through the photos, until she reaches one shot that fills the screen. She's pictured smiling and clapping for the guest speaker, and Mick is looking at her with an expression that takes her breath away.

He seems equally startled by the image, but she sees him recover quickly.

"I suppose you know what _this_ guy is thinking?" he points a thumb at his own likeness.

"I can take a guess."

He raises his eyebrows, questioningly.

"He is exactly where he wants to be," she begins, studying his face on the screen. "She's who he wants to be with. He cares about what she has to say, even if it surprises him. Even if he disagrees with her. He doesn't want to change her, or make her fit a mold. He likes her the way she is."

She smiles up at the man sitting next to her. "And she likes him, just as he is. I treasure our friendship, Mick. Maybe because no one sees me quite the way you do, or knows me as well."

Mick brushes his hand across his eyes, visibly moved.

"Thomas never had a chance," he murmurs.

"No. And that's true whether you were in the picture or not."

"Ever think things would have been better if I _hadn't_ been in the picture?"

She pauses to give the question some thought.

"I don't know how our children would answer – if everything you and I put the family through was worth it to them. But for good or for bad, if I could decide all over again, I would always choose to have you in my life." She laughs. "How dull it would be without you!"

Mick nods and his slight smile tells Megan that the heaviness has lifted.

"I would choose you, too," he says. "I still choose you – as a friend," he adds quickly.

Megan has the feeling there's something he isn't saying, but she doesn't push. The museum opening and their conversation have left her drained.

"I'm exhausted. Aren't you?" She yawns, setting the iPad on the coffee table.

"You should be. It's 2 a.m! I think I'll sit here and wind down for a few more minutes."

"See you in the morning. If you need more blankets …" She nods in the direction of the guest room – his room.

"I know where to find them."

"Or pillows."

"You're stalling." He smiles.

She glances down. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here. For being you."

She impulsively gives him a hug around the neck, which he cautiously returns, nestling his face in her hair and breathing deeply.

"And for being my friend, Mick. I don't think you know how important you are to me," she says, hurrying to her room before he can reply.

After watching her go, he exhales the breath was holding, picks up the iPad and slowly looks through the pictures.

.

See Chapter Five

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' - Mick & Megan O'Brien_

 _Thank you for reading_ _, and please consider writing a review of this story!_

 _Annette_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Megan is in the middle of a ladies' art and tea party one afternoon when her cell phone chirps. While she's at work, her phone is set to ring only when a family member calls, and only on the third try.

Knowing it has to be an emergency, she quickly answers.

"Kevin, what's happened?"

"Mom, Dad's been in an accident!"

"Is he all right?" Megan cries out, grabbing her assistant by the arm. "Heather, book me the next flight to Baltimore, and take over the party."

"He's conscious. They've got him immobilized. That's all we know. He's in the main hospital, and we're all here."

"I'll be there in a flash. Tell him I'm on my way. Thank you, sweetheart."

. . .

"Let them give you something for the pain, son." Nell hovers over her firstborn as though he were still a child.

"No. Megan's coming. I have to stay awake."

"I feel responsible for this, Mick. I shouldn't have been so hard on you about her. If I hadn't got you all worked up, you might not have gotten into an accident."

"I blame Thomas. I can't believe he tattled to you about Megan and me. I told him, like I told you, we're not doing anything wrong!"

"Honey, secret relationships. Living under the same roof. It's a situation ripe for misunderstanding. And Kevin told me that he's still not sure he believes what you told him about your goings-on."

"So Kevin ratted us out, too." Mick grimaces.

"He saw how troubled I was after Thomas left, and he guessed what it was about. When he learned what Thomas said, he filled in a few details."

"Why does everyone care what we do? We're just friends spending a little time together."

"It's not a good example to your children as to what relationships are about – especially given your history. And for what purpose? You and Megan love each other – oh, it's clear you do. Thomas might never have come to me if you'd been honest with him about your feelings. Instead, he thinks you're compromising Megan's reputation, and he has too much respect for her to let it go on."

"To hell with Thomas' so-called 'respect!' He's just jealous!"

"Mick! Do the right thing and ask her to marry you. It'll solve all your problems."

His eyes fill with tears.

"I can't. I can't ask her to leave her career in New York. And we didn't survive the last time we had a long-distance marriage. I'll love her till my dying breath, but I haven't so much as given her a kiss on the cheek because I don't want to spoil what we have. If that's the way it has to be, then so be it."

"You haven't kissed her! My dear boy. Why would the two of you settle for crumbs when you could have the whole bloomin' banquet! Did you never read the 'Song of Solomon' in the Bible? Oh, what a description of the kind of love you and Megan shared, and should share again."

"No, you wouldn't let us read it when we were kids," Mick snaps. "And I never got around to it."

She pulls a small Bible from her purse and places it on his tray table, opened to the book in question.

"When you're feeling up to it," she says, giving it a pat and kissing Mick's forehead before stepping out of the room.

. . .

"Oh my gosh, how'd Mom get here so fast?" Connor jumps up from a bench outside the hospital's main entrance, as a taxi screeches to a halt.

Abby is just as surprised. "She had a party at work so I didn't expect her for hours, but Dad was sure she'd be here sooner. How'd he know?"

They rush to the cab and help Megan make a quick exit from the back seat.

"I'll get your bags," Connor says, as he pays the driver. "Abby will take you up. He's asking for you."

"How is he, honey?" Megan addresses her daughter, as the two rush to the bank of elevators.

"Gran's been with him. Last I heard, he was refusing medication, and Bree said it looked like he was crying when she peeked in."

Megan's breath catches in her throat as they enter the first car going up.

Abby pulls a tissue from her purse and hands it to her mother.

"Mom, your makeup."

"What?"

"Looks like you've been crying all the way here."

She sobs and wipes her eyes, smearing her makeup further.

The elevator stops at the sixth floor. Megan anxiously shifts from one foot to the other, waiting for the doors to open.

"Which way, Abby?"

"Go right, third room, number 603."

Megan quickly finds the room and bursts through the door, oblivious to her children sitting on chairs that line the wall outside.

"Wow, she made it here in nothing flat!" Bree says in surprise.

With Megan's carryon and handbag in tow, Connor exits another elevator and joins his siblings in a cluster at their father's doorway, curious about their mother's reaction to their father's situation.

.

See Chapter Six

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _NEW Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters_

 _Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters_

 _Thank you for reading, and please consider writing a review of this story!_

 _Annette Zoaps_


	6. Chapter 6

.

 **The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores'**

 **"** **Megan at the Met"**

Mick and Megan O'Brien

By Annette Zoaps

.

 **Chapter 6**

"Mick! Oh my God, what happened?" Megan stops halfway between the door and his bed, paralyzed with fear.

Mick wears a neck-support collar and is lying very still, as though movement would cause pain.

"That truck of mine skidded off the road, but I'm fine." He takes a shallow, hesitant breath. "Shaken up a little. A few cracked ribs."

She finally closes the gap between them and perches tentatively on the edge of his bed. Her hands ache to reach out, but she's afraid to make contact.

"Where do you hurt? Be honest." She finally cradles his face gently and focuses on his eyes, where she knows she'll find the truth.

He forces a smile. "As long as you don't try to give me a bear hug, we'll be all right."

She laughs, tears of relief spilling down her cheeks.

"Oh, Mick, you daredevil! You scared me to death. I always thought the airplane would do you in — not the truck."

She notices the Bible.

"Are you sure you're all right? It looks like someone was about to give you last rites!"

"Ma left it for a little light reading." He rolls his eyes.

"You could do worse," she says, stroking his cheeks as though contact with him is her lifeline.

"When I'm feeling stronger, we need to talk. There's a whole hand-basket full of hell I need to warn you about."

. . .

"He looks better all of a sudden." Connor scratches his head. "When did Mom become the 'Dad-whisperer?'"

"About three months ago," Kevin reveals. Four pairs of eyes lock onto his.

"You're just telling us _now_?" Abby shrieks.

"You know Dad's trips to New York? Well, they're not all about business. He's been going to Mom's gallery openings — and they appear to be having fun together. I mean, a _lot_ of fun together."

Kevin opens the purloined photo collection on his phone, as his brother and sisters gather around him.

"I saved a few screen shots from my laptop because they were — well — puzzling." He shrugs. "Here are some images from the first event he attended."

Jess gasps when she sees pictures of the ring. "They're engaged?"

"No, but it looks like it, doesn't it! Forget that batch and look at these." He scrolls through other photos from that same evening.

"Who _are_ these people?" Jess exclaims. "They look so — happy! I've never seen them like this."

"I know, right?" Kevin agrees.

"How'd you get these, Kev?" Bree asks.

"Mom had her work website open on my computer, and I'm still able to get into her personal Met photo galleries. So I lifted some pics and sent them to my phone. For comparison, here are a few I saved from an earlier opening night reception, before Dad first showed up."

"That's Uncle Thomas," Jess points out. "But they're not having nearly as good a time as Mom and Dad."

"Nope. Not even close." Kevin agrees.

. . .

Megan glances to the doorway, where she suddenly realizes they have an audience of five.

"You'd better tell me now. It looks like the villagers are gathering. Is there something going on with the kids?"

"No, it's Thomas," he whispers. "He went running to Mom and told her about us. She's demanding that I make an honest woman of you, because our kids will be confused by our 'goings-on,' as she put it. That's it in a nutshell."

Megan exhales a shaky breath.

"We've already confused Kevin." She runs a hand affectionately over Mick's hair, as her chin quivers. "It was so — nice — while it lasted. I suppose it couldn't go on forever."

"Megan, nothing needs to change! I will not be dictated to by my mother!"

"Even if she's right?"

He tries to sit up but falls back, gasping in pain.

"You think she's right? Do you? If you do, then we _have_ to get married, because that's what _she_ says we need to do."

"Mick, calm down," she whispers, gently placing her hand on his shoulders. "Tell me exactly what she said."

"She said we could be having a banquet, but we're settling for crumbs. Have you ever heard such …"

"She has a point." Megan picks up the Bible and looks at its open pages, recognizing the passage.

"But you said you weren't interested in a relationship," he says, his voice betraying a hint of hope.

"That's not what I said. A relationship with _you_ wasn't on the table when we talked." She closes the Good Book and sets it back in its place. "Don't you remember, you asked if you were standing in the way of _other_ relationships."

"Megan, what are you saying?"

As he clenches his fists in agitation, Megan clasps his nearest hand to calm him, careful not to move quickly and jostle him.

"Your mother's a wise woman," she says, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Did they slip drugs into my IV after all? You — would — really …?"

"Are you asking me …?"

"By God, Megan, marry me!"

"First, I have to know — who are you trying to please? Your mother? Yourself? Or me?"

"Myself! Maybe I'm selfish, but I love you, and I want you back. But I want to make you happy, too. I'll spend every minute making up to you for pushing you away."

"Then my answer is easy. Yes, I'll marry you. I'll happily marry you." She smiles serenely.

"Megan, sweetheart, it would hurt like the devil if I tried to sit up and kiss you. I can't even lift my hand to put the ring on your finger."

"It's right here, where it should be. I haven't taken it off since you placed it on me the first night you came to the Met." She tucks her hand in his and lets him feel that the ring — the ring he first gave her decades before — is secure.

He smiles and seems to relax a little, but Megan recognizes a hunger for her in his eyes — it's a hunger she shares for him.

She gives him several light kisses, careful not to press on his chest. "I can hardly wait until you feel better," she breathes, her gentle touch teasing a greater passion to come.

"I'd like to say I'm better, but I'd lie through my teeth to keep kissing you." His eyes beg her not to stop.

She presses her lips to his again, still carefully, but slowly and achingly, holding back nothing.

"Megan, we could have had this months ago?" he breathes. "What were we waiting for?"

"I thought you were satisfied to be friends."

"Friends, yes. Satisfied, _no_." He starts to laugh and then catches himself as his chest spasms in pain.

"Mick, darling. Maybe we should stop."

"No. _Never_ stop. You're the only cure I need."

She kisses him again without hesitation. And though he is prone and all but immobile, she feels the heat between them rising.

After seventeen years of loss and longing — and three months of building an even deeper emotional connection — Megan is eager to show him he has her whole heart, reigniting a flame she knows is smoldering in their souls.

. . .

"Whoa! Now I know why there are so many of us O'Brien kids!" Connor says.

"So that's what true love looks like," Bree muses. "I've never been kissed like that in my whole life."

Three siblings nod in agreement.

Abby blushes. "I have."

. . .

When they pause to catch their breath, Mick whispers, "I'd tell Ma she was right, but I don't want to give her the satisfaction."

"I don't think you have to tell her anything."

Megan nods toward the doorway, where their audience has increased by one.

.

 **THE END**

.

 _This story is complete! If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

.

 _If you love Mick and Megan as much as I do, be sure to check out my other stories:_

 _NEW! Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The Whiskers of Machu Picchu, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Come Let Me Love You_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Fear of Flying, 3 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, The One That I Want_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Where the Wind Blows_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Once a Promise_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Mother of the Bride, 2 chapters_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, Love Song_

 _Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores Mick and Megan O'Brien, First Kiss_

 _The Hallmark Channel's 'Chesapeake Shores' — Mick & Megan O'Brien, 9 chapters_

 _Chesapeake Shores — Megan at the Met — Mick and Megan O'Brien, 6 chapters_

 _._

 _I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading and making positive comments about my stories!_

 _I appreciate it more than you know!_

 _Annette Zoaps_

.


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